Administrative Law

Supreme Court Declines AARP’s Appeal in Health Benefits Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a challenge to a federal policy that makes it easier for companies to pay lower health benefits to retired workers when they turn 65. A rule adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in effect allows companies to reduce health benefits when…

Mar 24, 2008 4:02 PM CDT

Female Associate Unhappy at Mintz Firm, One of the ‘Best Law Firms for Women’

A female associate has filed a state administrative law complaint against her Boston-based law firm, claiming sex discrimination and retaliation. Kamee Verdrager filed a complaint against Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, “alleging that she was demoted because of her gender and treated…

Mar 21, 2008 10:56 PM CDT

Fla. Lawyer Fights Charges He Hid Bank Losses

A government lawyer argued yesterday that a former partner at Greenberg Traurig covered up crimes at a Miami bank that was eventually shut down for fraud. The Office of Comptroller of the Currency is seeking a $250,000 fine and a cease-and-desist order against Carlos Loumiet to prevent him from giving…

Mar 12, 2008 5:18 PM CDT

Stricter Bank Regulation Likely, Following Mortgage Meltdown

Next month, a limited phase-in of newly revised international banking standards known as “Basel II,” after the Swiss city in which they were developed, is planned in the U.S. The revised rules call for financial institutions to be given more discretion to run their own businesses, because they are, in…

Mar 4, 2008 10:22 PM CST

Jail Isn’t End of SEC Saga for Convicted Lawyer in $1B ‘Ponzi Scheme’

After pleading guilty in a $1 billion federal securities fraud conspiracy case last year, Florida attorney Stephen Ziegler was sentenced to a five-year prison term and had his law license suspended. But that’s not the final answer, as far as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement efforts against him…

Mar 4, 2008 8:22 PM CST

Social & Political Savvy Help Lawyers Succeed in Nuclear ‘Gold Rush’

It isn’t just legal skills that help law firms win coveted nuclear energy work. Social and political savvy also are key abilities when mining the “nuclear gold rush” for new clients, reports the Lawyer, in an article that gives a rundown on major U.K. law firms in the practice area.…

Mar 4, 2008 7:55 PM CST

‘Fleeting Expletives’ Evade High Court Review, So Far

The U.S. Supreme Court took no action today on a request to revive the government’s ability to penalize broadcasters that air so-called fleeting expletives—the unscripted use of the F word by celebrities or other guests appearing on the air. The court considered whether to accept the case at its conference…

Mar 3, 2008 5:33 PM CST

Court Splits in Diabetes Drug Case, Allowing Lawsuit to Proceed

The U.S. Supreme Court’s divided ruling in a diabetes drug case today has the effect of allowing a lawsuit to proceed, SCOTUSblog reports. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. did not participate in the case, which was argued last Monday. The lawsuit contends a pharmaceutical company withheld information about liver…

Mar 3, 2008 3:37 PM CST

Supreme Court Rules Use of Wrong Form Doesn’t Bar Age Bias Suit

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that employees complaining of age discrimination at Federal Express satisfied legal requirements for filing a lawsuit even though they failed to file the usual form with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Lead plaintiff Patricia Kennedy had filled out Form 283, the intake questionnaire,…

Feb 27, 2008 3:51 PM CST

Could Clearer Docs Have Helped Avert Mortgage Meltdown?

Unless you buy for cash, purchasing a home involves signing a mountain of mortgage paperwork detailing the terms of the loan. Ironically, this means that many buyers don’t understand even basic loan terms, because it’s commonplace to simply sign the complex documents without reading them. Now, the nation’s mortgage meltdown…

Feb 25, 2008 4:43 PM CST

New Proposals Surface to Help Debt-Laden Homeowners

Several proposals are being touted that would help troubled borrowers and the lenders that gave them loans for their homes, often worth less now than the outstanding loan balance. Falling home prices and higher interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages have led to increasing foreclosures and a struggle for those…

Feb 22, 2008 5:24 PM CST

Payday Lenders Flout Law on Seizing Gov’t. Benefits, Newspaper Says

Under federal law, creditors aren’t supposed to be able to seize social security payments, or disability or veterans benefits to pay a debt, and the government won’t send their checks directly to creditors. But at least some payday lenders have found a way around those prohibitions, and are now targeting…

Feb 13, 2008 12:03 AM CST

Calif. Docs Say Blue Cross Illegally Seeks Patient Info

Physicians are protesting what they say is a new and unprecedented plan by Blue Cross of California to require doctors to collect and report to health insurers patient information that could eliminate their medical coverage. “The California Medical Association sent a letter to state regulators Friday urging them to order…

Feb 12, 2008 8:05 PM CST

Merck Agrees to $650M Settlement in Medicaid Health Care Fraud Case

Without admitting liability, Merck & Co. has agreed to pay a total of more than $650 million to plaintiffs including the federal government, 49 states and the District of Columbia, to settle allegations that the pharmaceutical company engaged in health care fraud by violating Medicaid rules. The settlement, according to…

Feb 7, 2008 9:30 PM CST

Soggy Bottom Saga

Woman Buys Submerged Acreage, Wants Lake Drained; City and County Say She’s All Wet

Feb 2, 2008 3:17 PM CST